jazz improvisation – modern music theory and application

Alternate Picking Guitar Tetrachords Part 2

Posted on November 5, 2023November 23, 2023 by Modern Music Theory

alternate-picking-jazz-guitar-tetrachords-example

Please watch video above for detailed info:

Hi Guys,

This is a response video to the previous video/blog. This is to explain and demonstrate the application of “Tetrachords” a bit further.

Here, I will add the video examples in Tab/Notation:

RECAP= What are Tetrachords:

“Tetrachords” are 4 note groupings to connect harmony/lines together for improvisation [and composition]

alternate-picking-jazz-guitar-tetrachords-example

When mastered they can be broken up into musical phrasing/punctuation:

Broken up/Shifted: Thus creating an upbeat

Notes chopped off in the bar: Creating space and rhythmic interest.

Breaking up the tetrachords like this helps to create smooth syncopations, anticipations or go the other way and play on the beat:

Now, let’s follow this through to a short extension of the phrase

Counting Time

As always it’s essential to count the time when doing this so that you know where you are in the phrase.

Alternate Picking Guitar Technique:

In this video and for these examples I am employing strict alternate picking starting on a “Down Stroke”. Down Up Down Up etc.

TETRACHORD EXERCISES EXAMPLES

Practicing ii V7 I’s and iii Vi ii V7 I’s in various guises will really help you connect and nail the changes with your alternate picking: Below is an example with II V7 I:

Connecting the “HARMONY”

Now, let’s connect the harmony/chords together via tetrachords: This first example is in the style of John McLaughlin.

alternate-picking-jazz-guitar-tetrachords-improvisation-example

Notice, how smoothly the pentatonic 4 note groupings connect together

This time we will take a more basic approach with very simple fretting/fingering:

In Conclusion:

So, even through these basic examples it’s easy to see how to exploit these 4 note groupings to nail the changes and then break them up into musical phrasing/punctuation: As a further resource I would recommend John McLaughlin excellent DVD called “This is the way I do it”

PDF DOWNLOAD:

alternate-picking TETRACHORDS Download

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12 tone jazz/fusion 20c classical quartal/quintal lines

Posted on October 21, 2023November 1, 2023 by Modern Music Theory

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12 Tone Jazz/Fusion Quartal/Quintal improvising and composing concepts

Please watch video above for detailed info:

Hi Guys,

Today, a look at employing 12 tone rows for Quartal and Quintal improvising and composing.

Here is the first row: Notice the movement of 5ths and 4ths.

Now, we will play it backwards with retrograde motion or reversal: Also, notice the use of changing register.

Full 2 bars:

In this next example we will employ Triadic movement and semitone connections.

In the following part we connect triads directly:

Finally, we will add some non 12 tone notes to complete the phrase:

From here we will exploit the tone row and make 4 bars of music from it: Here is the 12 tone row:

We will now copy it and change register: Notice that the last four notes descend:

Now, that we have this we will reverse both bars and create another 2 bars of music:

Lastly we will join together 2 different rows: We will break these up a bit with the first part acting more like a vamp:

The second part employs quintal and quuartal movement once again:

PDF DOWNLOAD:

12-tone Download

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Modes Backing track Modal Chords and Chord/scale suggestions:

Posted on April 23, 2023April 27, 2023 by Modern Music Theory

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Modes Backing Track Transposed in C Major with Chart and Scale Suggestions.

Hi Guys,

Just a quick chart and backing track for practice and improvising with modes transposed in C Major. [The chords and scales are only suggestions there are other variations]

Here are the chords for the chart:

Here is the Modal Chord/Scale outline in a 12 bar [Blues] Structure for practice:

CHART IN FULL:

Chart Idea 2:

PDF DOWNLOAD:

pdf-modes MODES FREE Download

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Author: Clifford Martin Musical Artist: Guitar Gti

Modern Music Theory

Clifford Martin is a trained classical musician and composer. His 1st study being piano and composition and a deep study into the meticulous world of modern music theory. He also studied jazz piano and jazz drums privately. Clifford later came back to the guitar and studied in the jazz fusion style of John McLaughlin and Al di Meola. It was at this point that he put all of his years of learning together into one musical form This website is a sort of cataloging of ideas and musical concepts for exploitation and development in the arts of musical composition and improvisation. What started out as a jazz improvisation site has grown into a full blown, harmony, timbre, pitch and rhythm library. Peace, Enjoy!